Admit it, sometimes it happens that you don’t have the strength to fight the alluring dishes of the fast food empire. This often happens to me in Asia, where I want to “snack” specialties with something familiar and understandable. I have a ton of recipes for hamburgers, fries, spicy wings and legs. A logical continuation of the correct alternatives would be chicken popcorn. These are tiny pieces of chicken in a lush ruddy breading. They are perfect as a compliment to a football match broadcast or as a main dish for a brutal lumberjacks dinner. Although what to say, they and fragile ladies in pink bunny slippers will be crushed on both cheeks.
Let’s start with the chicken marinade. I take a tablespoon of ground garlic (dry powder) and hot pepper flakes with salt. The photo shows that the flakes come with seeds, which give the main sharpness. You can combine black pepper, white pepper, chili and any seasonings you like. You should end up with 2 tablespoons of spice powder.
Take chicken fillet (500 g) and cut into small pieces 2 by 1 cm. Too large pieces will fry for a long time, and we are preparing popcorn, not nuggets, so we make smaller ones here.
Mix the spices and chicken well in a bowl so that it is completely evenly covered with fragrant marinade. We put it in the refrigerator for half an hour. You can overnight, then cover the cup with a film.
Now the crust itself. In one bowl we mix flour (250-300 g) and again a tablespoon of garlic and pepper. Or take your favorite herbs and peppers, do not forget about salt, see here to taste.
Pour neutral yogurt (2-5%, not very fatty sour cream) into a wider bowl. Other dairy analogues will not work, because they will give their taste. We don’t need it. And also prepare a baking sheet with a wire rack. This is secret number one.
Place a heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove. On medium fire. Pour in about 2.5-3 cm of oil. I use the oils that are on hand: olive, sunflower, grape seed. The main thing is to take one that is suitable for frying. 
Now the most interesting. The secret to good popcorn number two is double breading. First, we throw a piece of chicken into the flour.
We roll it well on all sides.
Shake a little, getting rid of excess flour, and dip in yogurt. Turn the pieces so that they are completely covered with yogurt.
And the second time we send it to the flour. It is a double layer of flour that will give a pleasant crust, and leave the chicken itself juicy. I made a special experiment. I just fried chicken pieces, chicken in one layer of breading and in two. The latter was the tastiest and the longest tasting.
Arrange the finished pieces on a rack. This is our first secret. If the pieces are dried in this way for at least 10-15 minutes, the crust will be drier and denser, and this is in our favor, the popcorn will be tastier and crunch a little.
The readiness of the oil is determined by dropping water into it. If it starts bubbling, it’s ready. Be careful here. Start with a medium heat, or even a small one. If it is too strong, the chicken will burn quickly and the oil will smell bad. If there is a thermometer, we need 165-175 degrees.
Lower the pieces in batches so that they do not take up the entire space of the pan. If you poured a little oil, then stir the chicken during the frying process. We are waiting for the ruddy color of the breading, somewhere around 3-5 minutes.
We spread the finished popcorn on a paper towel and send the next batch.
The process will go quickly, because the workpieces are on the grate, and the oil is at the right temperature.
Serve them better with ketchup or other thick sauces, I always take crunchy gherkins in a couple.
They keep well in an airtight container (let the popcorn cool completely) in the refrigerator for a day.
